Hello Fodorites!

Our grad student DD is collaborating with a team at the University of Groningen this summer for 10-12 weeks. Any suggestions for weekend day outings using public transit, not including Amsterdam (her beau is studying there)? She is outdoorsy and is pretty much open to exploring anything.

Thank you!

https://wadlopen-pieterburen.nl/#

A challenge for her!


Can she ride a bike? Groningen is great for cycling, and she can rent one. It is a lively student city and she will find plenty to do within the city as well. The countryside is close by with lots of bike routes she can follow.
There are many easy trips by train, including my home city of Harlingen. If she is here from 3-6 July she could come see the Tall Ships taking part in the Tall Ships race. But Leeuwarden, Assen, Zwolle, Amersfoort are all easy.
https://www.ns.nl/en/journeyplanner/#/

https://9292.nl/en/ for buses as well as trains.

With a bit of planning she could visit one or several of the Wadden Islands - Scheermonnikoog from Lauwersoog, Ameland from Holwert, and Vlieland and Terschelling from Harlingen. Rent a bike to really enjoy the islands, but there are buses and lots of places to walk and explore.

It isn't easy to get to Germany by train from Groningen as the rail bridge is still out of action sadly, but it is doable. To work out routes and prices:
https://www.nsinternational.com

I was hoping you might respond, hetismij2. DD asked if I could identify weekend activities for her, and I knew exactly where to turn.

DD would absolutely love Wadlopen! She does plan to rent a bicycle while there; and will indeed be in Groningen for the Tall Ships race. I've passed all of this information on to her.

Thank you!

The Tall Ships is in Harlingen - train to Leeuwarden then another one to Harlingen. The last couple of times it has ben here the train from Leeuwarden was free, to encourage people to use it rather than drive, but I don't know if that will be the case again this year.

She can use her debitcard, creditcard or phone to tap and go for trains and buses. She must remember to check out again as she leaves!

https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-informat...out/debit-card shows how it works for trains. You do the same on buses but as you enter and exit them. Buses don't accept cash but she can buy train tickets at a machine, though they cost more.

There are other places that do Wadlopen which may be easier to reach.

She should also be aware that trains away from Groningen on a Friday and back again Sunday evening/Monday morning will be very busy as students head home for the weekend. Dutch students get free public transport.

I am sure she will have a wonderful time and make friends for life while she is there.

A very good tourist website for the province and this has a lot of suggestions for nearby trips and activities.
https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en/blo...-without-a-car
The German town of Leer is only one and a quarter trains ride way. https://www.touristik-leer.de/

I have not encountered any delays related to railway improvement works. https://www.wunderline.eu/en/what-we-do

I can recommend Bourtange, which is a village / fortress built in the shape of a star. It is in the vicinity of Groningen and probably bikeable from there, although we went by car. It was completely restored and now caters to tourists, but it is still inhabited by normal people, and attracts modern-day witches because it is centred on a pentacle (but the garden variety of tourists, too). It is not well signposted, but there are bike directions. We got lost because we followed the bike signs which quickly run out when the bike path stops following the road and goes off-piste. It gets some tourism from Germany as we have seen the buses. There are a bunch of star fortresses in the Netherlands and remnants of them in Belgium also. Absolutely fascinating. I hope your daughter likes Groningen, it's a great place to visit!

Lavandula

Thank you, VANAARLE and Lavandula, for the great suggestions. I had already discovered the Groningen tourism link and sent that to her.

Now I'm thinking of heading to Groningen whilst DD is there to do all of the fun stuff you've all helped me discover!

Call in on Harlingen on the way!

Seriously Groningen is a great, and overlooked province as well as a great city. Just don't tell my Frisian neighbours I said that.

I've started to look at flights!